| Daisy |

His eyes lit up with slight humor.

Dean was looking at me again. A little smile on his face that he was trying to hide from me but he failed.

"Guess that makes the two of us." He said softly and his eyes kept roaming my face in a quiet manner.

"So no hard feelings huh?" Feeling bold I grinned at him.

"There weren't any in the first place , Daisy. Not now.  Not ever. " He said now looking up at the clouds ready to downpour.

And then out of nowhere I said what I said next.

I watched his face closely for any reaction.

"I hope you know you have a not so secret admirer. "

That made him look from the dark sky to me, one of his eyebrow raised as if it was news to him.

"I have many. I can't keep track of everyone. " He said ever so calmly.

I rolled my eyes  . " Arrogant much?"

Dean just crossed his arms over his hard chest, the fabric swishing with his movement.

A sombre look on his face.

"I'm not being that. I'm just stating fact and it doesn't matter — the admirers as you call them —  they don't matter. I have a person I look forward to seeing. Every day." His eyes had that intense look and it was kind of making me hard to breath and think.

"Is that Jessica? "

He chuckled and shook his head slightly like I amused him or something.

"I don't know any Jessica ."

I frowned .

"She just told me you like her and she likes you and—"

"And we are about to get married?" He said looking and sounding so serious. But his eyes were mocking.

My mouth wouldn't shut up.

It opened up all the damn way and I couldn't make a sound. . because what the actual frack?!

Marriage?!

He laughed out loud.

And it stunned me.

It was the kind of laugh that comes straight from the heart. The kind that just. .I had no words . It was the first time I was seeing Dean Harrison laugh so openly and I kept staring at him in utter disbelief.

Could he laugh like that all day all night?

The laugh morphed into a smile.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm just feeding your imaginations."

Then I decided to drag it out for his sake.

"So what exactly am I going to tell mademoiselle Jessica the next time she talks about claiming you?" I asked batting my eyes .

" May sound cringey but tell her you can't claim someone that has already been claimed. That ship has sailed." He said and my heart my feelings everything erupted in euphoria but my mind. .

He's not talking about you! He's not talking about you! He's NOT talking about you!

"Wow. Who's the lucky girl?" I asked trying to look happy for him . Trying to hide my desperation under it.

His gaze flickered at me and then he kept staring at me like he was seeing right through me.

Right through my soul.

And that was nerve wrecking.

"Time will tell ." He said not breaking the eye contact.

Don't push him again, my heart warned.

I swallowed the who and why  back in my throat and nodded . A few moments passed like that— me being awkward and fidgeting while his posture was relaxed and his eyes still didn't shift from my face .  It was like he forgot to look away.

Just when I thought to say something before I burst with nervous energy—i blinked in surprise when the first drop of rain fell right on my forehead and then on my nose.

The sky snapped and thundered like a beast.

"I think we— I should . . .," I couldn't say anything past that because he lifted his hand . . making me breathless with anticipation. .and then the pad of his thumb was touching my cheek. . rubbing the soft flesh. . zapping it . . burning it with a slight touch.

I swear I didn't breath for fear I might shatter something precious. .

I went slack and resembled a statue.

"Relax. I'm trying to catch the first drop of rain. It's suppose to bring good luck." He said softly. .his eyes looking at me and then right back at my cheek.

I didn't even savour his touch fully and he pulled back slightly . .a mere three feet distance between us.

I tried to be as casual as he was. As relaxed as he was like him touching me was no big deal at all. As if I wasn't melting from inside.

So I kind of put my foot in my mouth.

"That's stupid. How can a drop of water bring good luck?" I said trying to look nonchalant.

"I don't know about you but it did bring me . . some good luck. " He said his eyes flaring up intensely.

Right when I think I get him, I don't.

I laughed .

Or tried to.

"Yeah right. " I waved my hand at him and in the next second my eyes popped out because he pulled me right by my wrist!

His fingers wrapped around my wrist and he snatched me up against his chest.

The gasp that left my mouth was not at all lady like!

All I knew was. .

So close! He was damn close to me like never before! His green eyes up against my gray ones.  The tip of his nose almost touching mine. Lips so close I could feel the touch of them . .the rain had started to pitter patter on the shed .  . all around us. .and here we were.

Heart racing against heart.

Couldn't he hear my heart beat? Wasn't the  color of my face giving me away?

The butterflies erupted in my body all over when he placed his other hand at the side of my waist. .more like cupping it. .

The warning bells went off in my head.

And I knew. .knew so well I was falling for him. Didn't care about the fact if he was going to catch me on the other side or not. Didn't care about anything .

I didn't want to.

The world melted away until all I could see was him. Feel was him. Look was him.

"You're so strange , Daisy. " He breathed . " Every day  I promise myself not to ever let you get near me . Not to even think about you and yet . .yet when I see you nothing matters but being with you. And you know what?" His voice dropped down. .

"What?" I was afraid to look anywhere but him.

He didn't answer.

All he did was pull me close. . gently. . crushing me against his hard chest. .both of his hands going around my back. .palms pressing into my back . . pressing me into his body. .

My face in his chest and I couldn't help myself but bunch up his jacket in my hands .

And then he said. .

"Trying to stay away and then wanting to be with you. I'm at war. "

I tried to pull back so I can look at him but he didn't let me.

He didn't loosen up his hold around me.

"I—I don't know what you're going through but I know one thing . I will always be there for you. No matter what. You can't get rid of me ever."

I heard him chuckle .

"All I can say is. . thank you and it's kind of you . I can recognize kindness when I see it and I guess. . .that's what draws me to you. It's been years since I held anyone this close . All I'm trying to do is . .fit you in my broken world. "

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